Battery



May 1939. v I w; MATTHEWS 2,159,034

BATTERY Filed July i, 1935 INVENTOR. ,Wayne Maffhews A'TZTORNEY I Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5- Claims.

'1 'I'he invention relates to batteries and more particularly to that class of batteries known as "dry cells" and to the terminal construction thereof. 5

battery of the character described which will be provided, in addition to the usual positive and negative terminals, with a third terminal of reversible polarity arranged for connection with said first and second terminals in a circuit to control the energization of certain branches of said circuit.

Another object of the invention is. to provide a battery of the character described which will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture and which will have the several parts thereof so arranged to obtain positiveness in operation and a substantially unlimited period of life and usefulness.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, someof which, with the'.f0re

oing, will be set forth in the following description Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the battery shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end view of the battery illustrated in Figure 1. t

Figure 4 is 'a diagrammatic representation of a useful electric circuit in which the present battery may be employed. v

the battery or electric cell of the present invention comprises a metal anode casingv 4, having an open end 6, and in which is carried and partially enclosed thereby an electrolyte I which is preferably in paste form and which is disposed between the anocleand the cathode. Mounted in the electrolyte andcentrally extending from the end 6 of the casing is an electro-positive electrode 8 usually known as the cathode about the outer end of which ismounted a metallic sleeve'or terminal 8. As will be understood, and in accordance with the usual battery construction there is establishedbetween the electrode 8 and the easing 4 a difference of potential and these members serve as positive and negative terminalsrespectively of the battery.

In the present battery there is provided, in addition to the positive and negative terminals 8 g and 4 a third terminal which, while normally neuoo tral and not connected to either terminals 8 or 4,

An object of the invention is to provide a- Figure 1 is a somewhat enlarged perspective With reference to the accompanying drawing,-

may be selectively connected to either of these terminals to energize such third terminal at either a positive or negative potential, whereby the current in any one particular circuit may be controlled, or the battery may be connected in a circuit arrangement wherein the neutral or energized character of the third terminal and the polarity of said third terminal when energized, will control the current flow in certain branches of such circuit. In accordance with the present construction, this-third terminal is provided by a cap or and H which is rotatably secured at its outer periphery to the open end 6 of the casing 4 as by means of internested annular channel portions i2 and i3 on the cap and casing, and is formed with a central opening l4 surrounding the sleeve or terminal 9 of the electrode 8. Normally the cap is maintained at a neutral polarity unconnected with the potential of the battery. To eiiect this isolation of the cap from the battery terminals. I may use a sheet of paper or other insulation material i6, which is positioned between the terminal 9 and the adjacent edges of the cap forming the opening [4, between the under side of the cap and the electrolyte l and between the engaged portions l2 and I3 of the cap and easing whereby the cap is completely insulated from the terminals and the electrolyte of the battery. Preferably, the portions 12 and I3 of the cap and casing and also the adjacent edges of the cap and the terminal 9 are relatively loosely connected so as to reduce to a minimum any wear on the insulation member l6.

It will be observed that the cover member H forms a completion of the enclosure of the electrolyte I, the latter being only partially enclosed by the casing 4.

Means for energizing the cap and enabling a reversal in polarity thereof is effected by permitting a selective electrical connection of the cap to the terminals 8 and 4 of the battery and comprises a pair ofswitch contacts I! and I8 mounted on the cap H and terminal 9 respectively, and which in one circumferential position of the cap relative to the casing 4 and terminal 9, will engage to energize the cap at a positive polarity. Similarly, a pair of switch contacts l9 .and are secured to the casing 4 and the periphery of the cap I i and are caused to engage at a different circumferentiaLpositlon of the cap relative to the casing and the positive terminal be clear, and as is perhaps ,best illustrated in Figure 3, a rotation of the can relative to the cas-= ing t and the terminal E3 in a. clockwise direction will. engage the switch contacts is and 20 and cause the cap to assume a negative potential, whereas a relative rotation of the cap from this position in a counter=clockwise direction will disengage the contacts ill and 28 and at a spaced circumferential position cause the, engagement of the contacts i1 and i8 and the positive energization of the cap; and it will he further clearly understood, that in this manner the cap may be changed from a neutral to either a positive or negative potential with correspondingchanges in the energization of external circuits connected thereto.

A simple external hook up has been shown in Figure 1 for illustrating a use of the selective energization of the cap i2 wherein one circuit 2| is connected by conductors 22 and 23 to the positive terminal 9 and the cap it respectively and a second circuit 2% is connected by conductors 23 and conduct-or 26 to the cap 12 and negativecase 3 respectively. Loads 2i and 28 are shown inpircults 2i and Z for purpose of illustration and as will be noted these loads are connected in series across conductors 22 and 26. It will be clear from this hook up that upon rotation of the cap l2 to engage contacts H and I8 and to thereby make the cap electro-positive, current will flow through circuit 24 only and the load 28 will be energized. Upon rotation of the cap to a neutral position, that is with both sets of contact i1, i8 and i9, 20 open, current will flow through both circuits by way of conductors 22 and 26 and both of the loads 2! and 28 will be energized in series.

When the cap is rotated to engage contacts l9 nected in series to provide an additive voltage and wherein it is desired to control such voltage by taking one or more of the batteries out of operation. Such an arrangement is useful, for example, in hearing kits where a control of the volume of operation of the hearing means is desired. Such an electric connection between a plurality of the present batteries has been illustrated in Figure 4, wherein the batteries are connected in series, with the connection to one of the batteries being made to the cap I 2. In the illustration 01 Fi ure 4, the cap H of one battery 4 is connected by way of conductor 3! to one side 01' an electric circuit including a load 32, and the positive terminal 9 of the battery is connected by way of conductor 33 to the negative casing I of a second battery, The positive terminal 9 of the second battery is connected by way of conductor 34 to the opposite side of the load 32 in order to complete the electric circuit. It will be seen that with the cap l2 turned to a negative potential, the voltage of the two batteries will be additive in the circuit. With the cap l2 turned to a neutral position, the circuit is open. With the cap I! turned to a positive position, the electric circuit is made directly through the cap 12 leaving the first battery out ofthe circuit and thereby reducing the voltage to that provided by the second battery. The second battery may consist an ordinary dry cell if desired.

The battery will have a large number of uses.

and applications, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

1 claim: i 1. An open ended metal casing, a positive element centrally disposed therein and extended from said end, an electrolyte in said casing, a metal cap rotatably carried by said casing and positive electrode, insulation means between said cap and said element and between said cap and said casing, and switch contacts connected to said cap and said element and casing and engageable in the different circumferential positions of said cap to selectively electrically connect said cap to said element and to said casing.

2. A battery comprising, a metallic casing having an open end, an electrolyte in said casing, an electro-positive member mounted in said electrolyte and extended centrally fromthe open end of said casing, a cap of electric conducting mate rial rotatably mounted on said end and about said member and being insulated therefrom, and wedge shaped electric contact members secured to said cap and member and easing andoperative to electrically connect said cap selectively to said member and said casing in different circumferential positions of said cap relative to said casing. 3. A battery comprising, a metallic casing having an open end, an'electrolyte in said casing, an electro-positive member mounted in said electrolyte and extended centrally from the open end of said casing, a metal sleeve embracing said member, a metal cap rotatably mounted on said end and having a central opening surrounding said sleeve, a sheet of material electrically insulating said cap from said casing and electrolyte and sleeve, switch contacts on said casing and sleeve, and switch contacts on said cap adapted in one circumferential position on said cap to engage the contact of said sleeve to connect said cap with the positive electrode of said battery and in another circumferential position of said cap to engage the contact on said casing to. con nect said cap with the negative electrode of said. battery.

4. A battery comprising, a negative casing provided with a substantially circular end, a positive element extending longitudinally through said casing and positioned substantially at the center of said end and substantially in the plane of said end, a metal can rotatably mounted on said casing and surrounding said element and being insulated from said element and casing, and switch contacts connected to said cap and said element and said casing and engageable in different circumferential positions of said cap to selectively electrically connect said cap to said element and said casing.

5. An electric cell and switch comprising; a casing anode having a contact, and a cathode having a contact; a switch and cover member rotatably journalled on said anode and said cathode, said' member carrying switch contacts, whereby said member forms a closure for said casing and a switch arm to contact said anode and cathode contacts, and means insulating said switch and cover member from said anode and 

